Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
°•.gojō satoru was eleven years old when he first witnessed death.
it was a hot summer morning. cicadas made a hollow shell buzzing. the hand of a clock was yet to show nine, but the sun was already blazing, scorching everything on its way.
three people clothed in white, elegant but modest robes escorted a familiar bound woman down to the center of the gojō clan compound's courtyard.
her sandstone-like hair was disheveled. wide blue eyes were derangedly jumping back and forth from gojō clan members as if she were trying to remember all gathered to see her end. her wrists were reddened and tender by the rope. she was stumbling, and the only thing holding her up was one of the figures' hands on her forearms.
satoru recognized the woman's cursed energy. it was burning hot, daring those who were brave enough to get closer. it seemed that she didn't care to conceal it this time.
it was the same curse user who tried to kill him two days ago.
his mother put a protective hand over his shoulders as the woman and three white-robed people were getting closer to the center of the courtyard.
he scanned the three people with mild curiosity.
he knew, of course, who they were. the representatives of the yamada clan. the executioners.
two of them were grown adults. one man and one woman were on each side of the curse user. a few steps back from them was a boy around satoru's age holding a scroll with two hands.
each of their steps was synchronized, the bells on the left collars of their white kosode were chiming with each movement.
once they reached the center of the courtyard, the man pushed the curse user to the ground. the woman scowled, her sapphire eyes full of anger, when her knees harshly hit the ground but didn't utter a single word.
the other executioner, the tall woman, made her way to the head of the gojō clan.
she stopped a few feet before gojō tsuyoshi and bowed deeply.
"neck-chopper asa," satoru heard one of his relatives mutter in disdain from the crowd. "why are there three of them? one is already too much, and they sent three?"
"if they weren't here to kill that wretched woman, i would already get rid of them," another one sneered.
the head of the clan bowed back respectfully. with a stern expression, he said, "welcome, yamada asaemons. we are honored to host you in our compound." his words flew out of his mouth with astounding charm.
tsuyoshi was a talented liar.
satoru supposed it came with being the head for so many years. too bad that no matter how skilled one could be with lying, nothing could trick the six eyes. whenever one wasn't speaking the truth, their heart rate increased, breathing quickened, and they mostly stood still.
